The Irish Melting Pot... research tips, genealogy, transcriptions, including all news from Clare Roots Society ... general Irish news and items you may otherwise miss..
This is As They Were...
they are just waiting for you to find them.

Kilrush and District Historical Society will present 'Monuments, Memories and Meaning' a tour of the Church of Ireland Churchyard, Kilrush, the first in its series of lectures on Tuesday, 5 June at 7:30pm in and around the Teach Cheoil (former Church of Ireland building) Grace Street.

It will feature a number of speakers talking about the history of the churchyard itself, the lives of some of the better-known (and lesser-known) townspeople buried there, and the extraordinary carvings and gravestone art to be found on some of the older tombstones. The speakers will include Mr Dick Cronin, Conservation Officer, Clare County Council and Mr Eric Shaw, Clarecastle, as well as committee members of the society. Eric Shaw's greatgreatgrandfather was William Carroll who built the Vandeleur Mausoleum in 1873.

The lecture and tour of the Churchyard will provide some information about this very important historical and ecclesiastical site situated in Kilrush. Before the current clean-up, the churchyard was for the large part inaccessible to members of the public. It contains the ruin of the original medieval church from which the town takes its name.

Admission is free for members and 5 euro for non members. New members are welcome and the first permanent committee of the society will be elected after the lecture.

A bit early on the update this month. Highlights include lots of newheadstones in County Meath this month. Photos from Leitrim's FamineCemetery. Also somemore Declarations of Intention from Brooklyn, NY, 1915.===========================

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Sometimes just the bare bones of a story sounds intriguing... this seems like such a story... take a snapshot of life in rural Ireland, a Franciscan nun and a yearning to find a life that makes a difference ... and you have

CALL OF THE LARK, A Memoir by Maura Mulligan

IN HER POWERFUL NEW MEMOIR, CALL OF THE LARK, MAURA MULLIGAN takes us behind the walls of a Franciscan convent in the 1960s and brings alive a nun's story that is both revealing and redemptive. But Call of the Lark is much more. It is also a chronicle of life in rural Ireland in the 1940s and 50s, a testament to the challenges of emigration to the United States, and a portrait of one woman's strength and determination to forge a fulfilling life.

The author begins her story in a novitiate in Peekskill, New York, where she is a young postulant preparing for her marriage to Christ and reminiscing about her childhood on a rain-swept farm in County Mayo, where women smoke clay pipes at a wake, the donkey brings turf from the bog to keep the fire burning, and children dibble the spuds, pick blackberries, and dodge cane-wielding schoolmasters.

The night before she sails for America, young Maura, an accomplished step dancer, performs for the villagers who come to bid her farewell-the women all taking a turn at the butter churn as they arrive, a tradition believed to bestow good fortune.

Remembering the Famine and its impact on the US --

Voices of those who survived still live on

I gave a speech in Drogheda, Ireland, yesterday on the impact of the famine in America. I was one of several speakers, including Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who is speaking today on the occasion of the national commemoration of the greatest European catastrophe of the 19th Century.

Here is an excerpt of some of my remarks:

"Missing Friends was the series every week in John Boyle O'Reilly's Boston Pilot newspaper which allowed Famine era immigrants to America to seek out families and freidns who had gone before them.

It was the Facebook of its time. Famine emigrants rarely wanted to discuss the horrific nature of the voyage or the awful conditions they had to endure.

On Missing Friends, however, we hear their voices resonate.

It is not surprising they never wanted to talk about it and who could blame them they were ripped from their families, catapulted across the bitter bowl of tears arrived penniless, many speaking no English.

Here are some of their voices from the past.

"Of JOHN QUILMAN, late of the parish of Inch, co'y Tipperary, who sailed from Waterford with his family last April. His daughter, Mary Harrington, wishes him to know that her husband, James Harrington, died on their passage to this country; also her two children since. She is now in Troy and wishes to know where her father is. Any information respecting him will be thankfully received by Mary Harrington, care of S. Duffy, or Mrs. Daly, Fifth street, Troy, N. Y.27 November 1847

Of ANTHONY and PATRICK WATERS, natives of co. Mayo. They are informed that their sister, Mary, who was married to Patrick Boyle, is anxious to hear from them. Her husband died on the passage. Should this meet their eye they will write to her immediately, care of the editor of the Pilot,Boston, Ms.4 December 1847

Of BERNARD MURPHY, who emigrated from Co. Armagh, parish of Grangemore, townland of Aughmagorgan, in April last, with his father and 2 sisters. He was parted from his father at Quarantine Island, below Montreal. It is supposed he went to Kingston. Any information respecting him will be thankfully received by his father who is now living in Dover. If by letter, address Patrick Grimes, Dover, N. H., or John Doran, No. 6 Canal street, Boston, Ms.11 December 1847

Of CATHERINE GILLEN, who landed in Boston last spring, with her father and family. She was sick and went to hospital and has not been heard from since. Any one knowing anything of her would confer a favor on her father, Hugh Gillen, by writing a letter to him in care of John Devlin, Pawtucket, R.I.18 December 1847

Of BRIDGET CARROLL, a native of Killacooly, parish of Drumcliff, co. Sligo, who was taken into Grosse Isle hospital, below Quebec, in June last, and has not been heard from since. Any information respecting her will be thankfully received by her brother, Patrick Carroll, care of Mr. Samuel Downer, Second street, South Boston, Ms.1 January 1848

Of PETER and ELLEN CARR, natives of county Down, parish of Gervathey, who left home in April and landed in St. John, 4th July. They came in the ship Ambassadress. Ellen had the fever and was taken to Patridge Island, and Peter remained with her. Any information of them will be thankfully received by their brother, JohnCarr, Lawrence City, Ms.

Of DENNIS MCCARTHY, late of Killmichael, co'y Cork, who sailed from Liverpool on the 1st of last May, and left his wife, Ellen Ahearn, in Quarantine near Quebec, in June. She is now in Troy, N. Y., and wishes to know his whereabouts. Any information respecting him will be thankfully received by addressing a line to Ellen McCarthy, care of Stephen Duffy, Troy, N. Y.

'Son missing' John Fallon 'had light hair, blue eyes; was about four feet, four inches in height; wore a blue spencer, a new scoop shovel cap, a fancy pants and had a freckled face.'

The voices of these emigrants resonate still.

As we can see many of the emigrants themselves were in despair, their dreams of a new life shattered by the reality of what awaited them. Only the Blacks in chains fare worse than the Irish.

As one famine emigrant put it plainly 'We thought we could not be worse off than we were; but now to our sorrow we know the difference. At home we had the chance of a doctors care and the certainty of the spiritual administration of a priest. Should death overtake us there we would be buried beside our beloved dead, in consecrated Irish ground, with the prayers and last blessing of our church. Here we have nothing.'

In April, 1847, Stephen E. De Vere, a compassionate landlord, travelled as an emigrant to Canada in a converted lumber and cargo boat. His description of conditions is appalling.

'Before the emigrant has been a week at sea he is an altered man. How could it be otherwise? Hundreds of poor people men, women, and children of all ages from the drivelling idiot of ninety to the babe just born, huddled together without light, without air, wallowing in filth and breathing a fetid atmosphere, sick in body, dispirited in heart, the fever patients lying between the sound, in sleeping places so narrow as almost to deny them the power of indulging, by a change of position, the natural restlessness of the disease. The food supply was of the poorest quality. Drinking water was mixed with vinegar to kill the stench.'

Yet they changed America, among the famine emigrants Patrick Kennedy, great grandfather of an American presdient, later Micheal Regan ditto, and indeed, Fulmouth Kearney ... William Ford, 1846 father of Henry Ford, the man who changed America, to name but a few.

In the American Civil War, 250,000 fought for the Union. They helped create the American political system, built the Catholic Church, changed the face of Ireland and America. Their legacy is with us all today.

The poet Evan Boland said it best:

"Like oil lamps, we put them out the back —of our houses, of our minds. We had lightsbetter than, newer than and thena time came, this time and nowwe need them. Their dread, makeshift example:they would have thrived on our necessities.What they survived we could not even live.By their lights now it is time toimagine how they stood there, what they stood with,that their possessions may become our power:Cardboard. Iron. Their hardships parceled in them.Patience. Fortitude. Long-sufferingin the bruise-colored dusk of the New World.And all the old songs. And nothing to lose."

CLARE ROOTS SOCIETY CONFERENCE DATE FOR 2013 IS CONFIRMED

SATURDAY APRIL 6 !

Following on the success of last year's well attended inaugural genealogy conference, Clare Roots Society have confirmed the above date for

2013. The conference will be held in Ennis, Co Clare.

The confirmed keynote speaker is Michael Gandy. He is editor of the 'Genealogist', the magazine of the Society of Genealogists.

Further details will be released as soon as possible, including those for the Fringe Events leading up to the Saturday of the Conference.

You will be able to keep up with the latest news both on this blog, as well as at CRS (Clare Roots Society) at the link below. Wander through, including the Photo Gallery, to see just what has been achieved since CRS blossomed from an idea to reality.

You, too, can be part of this Society, wherever you live. You can contact me as per the comments option or at the address given in 'About Me' or write to

1703-1838: The Convert Rolls

Eileen O Byrne, Irish Manuscripts Commission, 1981. A list of those converting from Catholicism to the Church of Ireland. The bulk of the entries date from 1760 to 1790.

1740: Protestant householders

This applies to parts of Counties Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Donegal and Tyrone. Arranged by barony and parish, it gives names only. Parts are at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, The Genealogical Office, the National Library of Ireland and the Representative Church Body Library.

Sunday, 20 May 2012

In conjunction with Clare Library, Clare Roots Society plans to hold a week of talks on Genealogy in various locations in Co. Clare as per the attached programme. All the events will take place in the Library's branch offices on the days and times indicated in the programme.

Heritage Week August 2012

Clare Roots to provide speakers for Genealogy Talks and use the libraries as venues. Timetable of events as follows -

Wednesday, 16 May 2012

The first two weeks of May have started off with lots of newheadstones in the archives. See Meath, Dublin, Tyrone and Leitrim.You also might enjoy looking at the Lusitania memorials in Cork. Wewere also sent some neat old photos - from Dublin the St Patrick'sParade 1935 andfrom Wicklow Coolmoney Camp, 1930's.